5 week old pullet waddling

[NaturalGasMan51]

New to the whole forums for answers kind of thing so I apologize in advance for lack of useful information. So my 5 week old barred rock plymouth pullet has been waddling around like her legs hurt or just can't move them correctly. Her legs are spaced normal like the other chicks. She is half the size and her legs seem like they aren't really growing longer like they should. She eats and drinks and does her best to play with the others inside the coop. When I pick her up to help her down the chicken run she feels as if she is bloated or just really fat. Any advice or answers are much appreciated thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post photos of her and how she stands?

A video of how she moves/walks would be helpful. Upload your video to YouTube and provide a link.

You mention she feels bloated - can you get photos of her abdomen and poop too?

Thanks!

 

[NaturalGasMan51]

I'll get the needed information here soon. Thank you for your help and your time.

 

[NaturalGasMan51]

Here is the link.

 

[NaturalGasMan51]

Here is the link.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You'll have to take your video off private.

She looks different that's for sure. Have you treated for Coccidiosis?

I'd say she's runty or has some type of developmental issue, is her crop emptying?

 

[NaturalGasMan51]

OK I will take it off of private and yes her crop is emptying. She poops like the rest just fine. I just wanted to see if anyone thought it was something that was treatable or has had any experience with the same kind of thing.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She may be failing to thrive.

Any way you can take a sample of her poop to your vet to get a fecal float to rule out Coccidiosis?

If not, then I'd direct oral drench her with Corid for 4 days at 0.10ml per pound of weight with Liquid Corid twice a day. See that she's eating well.

After you finish the Corid, then start vitamin therapy giving 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with 400IU Vitamin E. Give her a little egg daily to help with the uptake of E.

Hard to know. Sometimes runty chicks can take off and grow quickly, they are just behind for some reason. Other times there's something going on and they just fail.

How warm is it where you are? She may benefit with having some extra heat available, especially at night. Nothing drastic, a heat plate that is raised high or even on blocks where she can get underneath for some added warmth. A heat lamp if you can safely provide that. Lastly, a heating pad that has no shut off - I've used heating pad caves to raise chicks for a good while until I got heating plates, but still have heating pads stashed for backups. This is of course all dependent if you can use electricity safely in your setup.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is a vet a possibility? Her legs appear abnormally short or stiff. Have you picked her up and manipulated her legs and compared them to a normal chick's? See if the legs stretch like they should and the joints move normally.

 

[NaturalGasMan51]

Everything seems normal to her besides just the bottom of her belly seems swollen like maybe she had a blockage? When she poops she stretches and kind of leans to the side.